How much is your utility charging solar customers?

Across the sunny South, people are increasingly turning to homegrown, affordable rooftop solar power to meet their energy needs. Some utilities are designing thoughtful programs and policies that encourage rooftop solar investments. Others are finding ways to undermine, and, in some cases, completely put the brakes on solar’s emergence as a feasible, cost-effective choice for customers.

Find out if your utility is a maker or braker when it comes to giving you access to clean, affordable solar energy.

Choose Your State & Utility

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On average, there are209sunny days per yearin South Carolina.

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Unfortunately, we were unable to find enough information about your utility’s solar policy. Contact your utility to find out what their solar policy is.

$0.00

Flat Monthly Fee
This lets you know whether your utility charges you a flat fee every month just for having solar on your home.

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$0.00

Variable Fee
This lets you know whether your utility charges you a monthly fee based on the size of your rooftop solar system.

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$0.00

Your Total Average Monthly Fee

System Size

5kw

What's This?
On average, most residential rooftop solar systems are 5 kilowatts, but you can adjust this to match the size of your rooftop solar system.

The Green Power Providers program has limited capacity. Once the program is full, rooftop solar customers are forced to participate in a program that compensates them far less for solar sent back to the grid.

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What happens to
the energy
your rooftop solar system produces?

0.00cents per kwh

Maximum rate your utility credits you for excess energy from your system

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0.00cents per kwh

Average rate your utility charges customers for energy they use

Your provider is making a 0.00 cents/kwh profit on the unused solar energy your system generates by selling it to someone else.

Based on average residential retail rates as reported to the Energy Information Administration in 2016. Your utility zeroes out excess solar credits every November, compensating customers are a reduced rate.

Forced Sale

Your utility doesn’t allow you to use any of the solar energy that your system produces. Instead, you are required to buy all the energy you need from your utility and push all of your solar energy onto the electric grid.

Based on average residential retail rates as reported to the Energy Information Administration in 2016. Your utility zeroes out excess solar credits every November, compensating customers are a reduced rate.

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Retail

Your utility credits your bill at its retail price when you send solar energy onto the electric grid. This means that your solar energy can offset the power you buy from your utility at an equal rate.

Based on average residential retail rates as reported to the Energy Information Administration in 2016. Your utility zeroes out excess solar credits every November, compensating customers are a reduced rate.

Wholesale

Your utility credits your bill at a wholesale price when you send solar energy onto the electric grid. This means that you're only compensated at a fraction of what you pay for power bought from your utility.

Based on average residential retail rates as reported to the Energy Information Administration in 2016. Your utility zeroes out excess solar credits every November, compensating customers are a reduced rate.

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Below Retail

Your utility credits your bill below its retail rate when you send solar energy onto the electric grid. This means that your utility is charging you more for power you buy than it compensates you for the solar energy you provide.

Based on average residential retail rates as reported to the Energy Information Administration in 2016. Your utility zeroes out excess solar credits every November, compensating customers are a reduced rate.

Your utility does not offer a community solar program, which gives customers access to solar energy without installing rooftop solar systems.

Your utility does allow you to use financing tools, such as a solar lease or power purchase agreement (PPA), which can reduce or eliminate the upfront costs of going solar.

What’s Your Cost to Go Solar?

$14,000

Average Cost of a Solar System in [STATE]

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$266.40

Average Amount of Solar Fees Paid to Utility Over the 30-Year Lifespan of Your System

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How does your utility
compare to others?

The following examples show how some utilities treat solar customers. A solar maker depicts a utility that’s designing thoughtful programs and policies that enable and encourage rooftop solar investments. A solar braker describes a utility with a rooftop solar policy that undermines, or worse, completely puts the brakes on solar’s emergence as a feasible, cost-effective choice for customers.

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Solar Maker

BARC Electric Cooperative serves 12,500 customers in the Shenandoah Valley of Western Virginia. The co-op gives customers full credit at its retail rate for any solar sent onto the grid, and allows residential customers to install solar systems up to 20 kW in size without imposing monthly fees or charges. Way to go BARC!

$0No Monthly Fees

Credits10.63cents per kwh

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Charges10.63cents per kwh

$0Average Amount of Solar Fees Paid to Utility Over the Lifetime of a Residential Solar System

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Solar Braker

Five years ago, Alabama Power began imposing a monthly charge on customers who install solar to power some of their energy needs. That unjust charge has effectively killed the growth of rooftop solar in the state of Alabama. Furthermore, Alabama Power recently proposed to increase its monthly solar charge.

$25.74Average Monthly Fee

Credits4.05cents per kwh

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Charges12.66cents per kwh

$9,000Average Amount of Solar Fees Paid to Utility Over the Lifetime of a Residential Solar System

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Reach out to let your utility know what you think about its solar policy.

How much would your utility charge you to go solar? Share your rate with your family, friends and neighbors.

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Solar power is spreading throughout the Southeast. Hear from people in your state who are tapping in to clean, affordable solar power. Learn how solar is creating local jobs, decreasing energy costs, and increasing energy independence, all while benefitting our environment, families, and communities.